Letter from Frieda

Dear Readers,

I am happy to share with you the saga (quilt related!) of Frieda's Quick and Easy College Quilt for Eric. I promise, by all that remains of my pitiful career, that soon I too will be able to add a post with quilt content. And now,

The Frieda Show

Today I am finishing a project started over a year ago. My youngest son, Eric, went off to UIC last year and I had this great idea of making him a quilt for his room from his old t-shirts.

Now having already sent two boys off to school I know better than to send anything of value, so I thought that this quilt of old t-shirts would be perfect.

What really started it was the fact that all the boys, yes I have three sons, my three sons, each has a quilt I made for them (which they always slept under) and Erik wanted to take his to school.

Of course I refused, knowing how boys are.

I once made a t-shirt quilt in the traditional fashion and thought I would revise it to make it go quicker, needless to say, quick didn't happen. But the process I think worked out well.

First I used my 15" ruler and just cut squares out of the front of old t-shirts, ones that were meaningful to him, but no longer wanted, mostly old school things. Then I bought 7 yards of different plaid flannels for the backs (for the cuddly part) at the end of winter, when they were $2 a yard.

Plan A: I had the idea to layer each square and quilt it and then serge all of them together resulting in a quick and easy assembly. This would have been brilliant, if I hadn't run out of t-shirts.

Plan B: I resorted to Goodwill to look for appropriate shirts, and at that point decided to add in all the local sports teams, which took quite a while to collect, negating my quick and easy efforts. I even had to BUY (!) one of the team shirts new and cut it up, as I couldn't find a used one anywhere.

I didn't realize until half-way thru the process that the backs of the t-shirts worked just as well as the fronts! I used those to add printed photos.

The quilt needed at least thirty-five 15" squares. I had to use a ball point needle to quilt it, otherwise the thread kept breaking. I will add in a traditional binding from the leftover flannels, and whala (sic) a "quick" college quilt. The Boy is happy because he has a cuddly quilt from home and I am happy because I don't care about this quilt. From previous experience I have learned that many things from college never make it home again.
Thanks Mel for once again making me blog fodder. I love it.
Frieda

The Boy shows his gratitude.

Mom's #1 Pride and Joy, George.

The Flannel Collection, last season's bargains.

Eric, as Indian Chief.

Fabulous dental work, no?